Pilot operated valve with automatic holding means



Dec. 23, 1952 A. MANHARTSBERGER 2,622,512

PILOT OPERATED VALVE WITH AUTOMATIC HOLDING MEANS Filed May 17, 1947 INVENTOR.

AZ BER. r MA mm R TSBE/PG-ER BY v ATTORNEY Patented Dec. 23, 1952 PILOT OPERATED VALVE WITH AUTOMATIC HOLDING S Albert Manhartsberger, Bloomfield, N. J., assignor to Specialties Development Corporation, Belleville, N. J., a corporation of New Jersey Application May 17, 1947, Serial No. 748,739

8 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in valve assemblies, and is particularly directed to valve assemblies for controlling the discharge of high pressure fluid media.

While the valve assembly of the present invention may be employed to control the discharge of any stored high pressure fluid medium, it is particularly adapted for controlling the discharge of fire extinguishing medium, such as liquefied carbon dioxide, from closed containers wherein the medium is stored under pressure.

More specifically, the present invention is directed to valve assemblies of the character indicated, wherein a main discharge valve is actuated upon operation of a pilot valve.

One of the objects of the present invention resides in the provision of a valve assembly wherein the pilot valve is readily operable and, upon operation thereof, is maintained in open position to prevent the untimely closing of the main valve controlled thereby.

Another object resides in the provision of means for automatically locking the pilot valve in open position and for automatically unlocking the same when the desired quantity of the stored medium has been discharged.

Other and further objects and features of the present invention will be apparent as the invention is described in greater detail hereinafter.

A preferred embodiment of the invention has been chosen for purposes of illustration and description and is shown in the accompanying drawing, forming a part of the specification, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a sectional view of a valve assembly, made in accordance with the present invention, showing the parts in valve closing position; and

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary sectional view similar to Fig. l, but showing the parts in valve opening position.

Referring to the drawing in detail, the valve assembly comprises a casing'or housing H] having an inlet [2 formed in an inlet nipple I l, which is threadedly secured in the neck of a container It for high pressure fluid medium, the inlet being in communication with the interior of the container by way of a syphon or dip tube I8. The housing IE3 also has an outlet 20 formed in an outlet nipple 22, which nipple is adapted to receive a discharge conduit 24 leading to a hose, nozzle or the like (not shown).

A piston cylinder 26 is formed in the housing [0, intermediate the inlet l2 and outlet 20, to accommodate a cup-shaped piston 28 having an annular piston ring 30 provided with a split 32 defining a fluid flow connection leading from the inlet l2'to a space 34 between the piston 28 and the wall of the piston cylinder 26, and

1 thence to the portion of the piston chamber in back of the piston.

The piston 2t carries a main valve member 36 adapted for movement with the piston to valve closing position on a seat 38 formed adjacent the outlet 20, whereby normally to prevent the escape of fluid pressure medium through the outlet.

A vent opening 40 is formed in the end wall of the piston chamber 26, and a pilot valve seat 42 is formed about said opening to accommodate a pilot valve member 44. A spring 46 is interposed between the pilot valve member 44 and the piston 28 for biasing the pilot valve member and the main valve member toward their respective seats 42 and 38.

When filling the container it with fluid pressure medium through the outlet 20, the main valve member is unseated by the pressure of the charging medium, or by an instrument inserted through the outlet, but only to the extent permitted by the space between the balls 54 and the shoulder 56 since the pilot valve 44 remains closed, whereby the medium is permitted to pass into the container I6 by way of the syphon tube l8. During the charging operation; part of the medium will pass through the split 32 in the piston ring 35! to the space in the piston cylinder 26 in back of the piston, and when the fluid pressure on both sides of the piston is equalized, the flow of the charging medium is discontinued and the main valve will seat under action of the spring 46. The fiuid pressure in back of the piston aids the spring 46 in maintaining the main valve and the pilot valve normally seated.

When it is desired to discharge the container,

' continue so long as the pilot valve is unseated and vents the piston cylinder in back of the piston to the atmosphere.

Unseating of the pilot valve may be accomplished by an electrically operated solenoid 62, or by fluid pressure, or by manual means, or by any other suitable means, but if no means are provided to hold the pilot valve open, and should the operating solenoid 52 be deenergized, or Whatever other operating means is employed, be returned to its original condition or otherwise rendered inoperative before the desired quantity of the fluid pressure medium has been discharged, the pilot valve would be seated under the action of the spring 46 and the fluid pressure medium passing to the portion of the piston cylinder in back of the piston, by way of the split 32 in the piston ring 30, would build up pressure and cause the main valve to again be seated in the manner previously described.

A desideratum of the present invention, however, resides in the provision of means, about to be described, to prevent the untimely seating of the pilot valve and the consequent closing of the main valve.

The pilot valve member 4 3 is accordingly carried by a sleeve 48 adapted to slide in a cylindrical member 59 secured to the venting end of the piston chamber, this cylindrical member being adapted to be telescoped by the skirt of the cupshaped piston. Apertures 52 are provided in the wall 'of the cylindrical member 58 for the reception of locking balls 54, which balls are normally retained in the apertures 52, in unlocking position, by the cup-Shaped portion of the piston and the pilot valve sleeve 48.

The piston 28 has a small inside diameter 60 and a larger inside diameter 55 with an intermediate sloping portion providing a ball engaging shoulder 55, and the pilot valve sleeve 48 has an annular groove 58 intermediate its ends for reception Of the locking balls 54 when in looking position, as will be described presently.

When the pilot valve is operated to eflect unseating of the main valve, in the manner previously described, the pilot valve and its sleeve are moved to the right to the position illustrated in Fig. 2, whereby the groove 58 is brought into alignment with the apertures 52 in the cylindrical member 50, positioning the locking balls 54 for entry into the groove 58. The ensuing movement of the piston, in the manner previously described, will then cause the shoulder 56 to engage the balls in the apertures 52 and force them into the groove 58 in the sleeve 48, whereby the balls will be held in looking position by the smaller diameter 6 of the cup-shaped portion of the piston in the manner shown in Fig. 2, so that the pilot valve will be locked in open position, and the main valve will be held open by the pressure of the discharging medium.

With the parts locked in valve open position, as shown in Fig. 2, should any of the fluid pressure medium pass through the split 32 in the piston ring 36, the same will be vented to the atmosphere by way of vent apertures 54 in the cylindrical member 59 and the vent opening 40.

When the pressure medium has been discharged, the resulting pressure drop on the main valve will permit the piston to move under the action of the spring 46, whereby the main valve will again be seated. As the piston and main valve move to valve closing osition, as just described, the smaller diameter 55! of the piston will ride ofl the locking balls 54, and the balls in turn will be forced out of the groove 58 by the sloping side wall thereof under the influence of the spring 46, whereupon the pilot valve will be free to return to its closed position under the continued action of the spring 46.

From the foregoing description, it will be seen that the present invention provides a valve assembly wherein, upon opening of a vent by the unseating of a pilot valve, a main valve member is rapidly unseated by the sudden drop in pressure on one side of the piston, and wherein the pilot valve is automatically locked in open position, until automatically unlocked to permit the same to close, upon a predetermined drop in pressure of the discharging medium.

As various changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the parts herein illustrated and described, without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, it is to be understood that all matter herein is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in any limiting sense.

I claim:

1. In a valve assembly for controlling the discharge of high pressure fluid medium, the combination of a casing having an inlet and an outlet provided with a valve seat therebetween, and having a piston chamber therein; a piston in said piston chamber; a valve member carried by said piston adapted to abut said seat; passage means for conducting a portion of high pressure fluid from the inlet into said piston chamber in back of the piston to urge the piston toward said valve seat; venting means including a pilot valve associated with said piston chamber for rapidly venting the high pressure fluid medium in back of the piston whereby said piston is adapted to be moved away from said valve seat to effect unseating of said valve member; a fixed apertured sleeve secured in one wall of said chamber and telescoped by said piston; and locking balls loosely retained in the apertures of said apertured sleeve and engaging said piston whereby movement of the piston urges said balls into position to lock the pilot valve in venting position.

2. In a valve assembly for controlling the discharge of high pressure fluid medium, the combination of a casing having an inlet and an outlet provided with a valve seat therebetween, and having a piston chamber therein; a piston in said piston chamber; a valve member carried by said piston adapted to abut said seat; passage means for conducting a portion of high pressure fluid from the inlet into said piston chamber in back of the piston to urge the piston toward said valve seat; venting means including a pilot valve associated with said piston chamber for rapidly venting the high pressure fluid medium in back of the piston whereby said piston is adapted to be moved away from said valve seat to eflect unseating of said valve member; a fixed apertured sleeve secured in one wall of said chamber and telescoped by said piston; locking balls loosely retained in the apertures of said apertured sleeve and engaging said piston whereby movement of the piston urges said balls into position to lock the pilot valve in venting position; and resilient means operable upon a predetermined drop in the pressure of the fluid medium at the outlet for closing said first mentioned valve and said pilot valve.

3. In a valve assembly for controlling the discharge of high pressure fluid medium, the combination of a casing having an inlet and an outlet provided with a valve seat therebetween, and having a piston chamber therein; a piston in said piston chamber; a valve member carried by said piston adapted to abut said seat; passage means for conducting a portion of high pressure fluid from the inlet into said piston chamber in back of the piston to urge the piston toward said valve seat; venting means including a pilot valve associated with said piston chamber for rapidly venting the high pressure fluid medium in back of the piston whereby said piston is adapted to be moved away from said valve seat to effect unseating of said valve member; a fixed apertured sleeve secured in one wall of said chamber and telescoped by said piston; a pilot valve sleeve carrying said pilot valve and having an annular groove in the wall thereof, said pilot valve sleeve being slidably engaged in said apertured sleeve; locking balls loosely retained in the apertures of said apertured sleeve and engaging said piston whereby movement of the piston urges said balls into the groove in the pilot valve sleeve to lock the pilot valve in venting position.

4. In a valve assembly for controlling the discharge of high pressure fluid medium, the combination of a casing having an inlet and an outlet provided with a main valve seat therebetween, and having a piston chamber therein; a piston in said piston chamber and having a skirt portion; a main valve member carried by said piston adapted to abut said seat; passage means for conducting a portion of high pressure fluid from the inlet into said piston chamber in back of the piston to urge the piston toward said valve seat; one wall of said piston chamber having a, vent opening therein leading to the atmosphere; a pilot valve member normally seated in said vent opening adapted to be unseated for rapidly venting the high pressure fluid medium in back of the piston whereby said piston is adapted to be moved away from said main valve seat to effect unseating of said valve member; a cylindrical apertured member rigidly secured to said chamber wall, encircling said vent opening and extending into the chamber; a pilot valve sleeve slidably mounted in said cylindrical member and having an annular groove formed in its exterior surface; and locking balls loosely mounted in the apertures in said cylindrical member and adapted to be engaged by the skirt portion of said piston and forced thereby into the annular groove in said pilot sleeve upon movement of the piston away from the main valve seat, whereby to lock the venting means in venting position.

5. In apparatus of the class described, a body member having a piston cylinder and an inlet and an outlet in communication with the cylinder; a piston in the cylinder; passage means for conducting inlet pressure fluid to the cylinder behind the piston; a pilot valve operable to control the flow of fluid to effect operation of the piston; a main valve adapted to be opened upon operation of the piston; and means operable upon movement of the piston for locking the pilot valve open including a member movable'with said pivot valve having a recess, a locking element supported by said body member adjacent said recess positioned between said last mentioned member and said piston, means constructed and arranged for preventing said locking element from entering said recess while said pilot valve is closed and said piston is in a position closing said main valve, and a surface on said piston for moving said locking element into said recess upon movement of said pilot valve into an open position and said piston into a position opening said main valve.

6. In apparatus of the class described, a body member having a piston cylinder and an inlet and an outlet in communication with the cylinder; a piston in the cylinder; passage means for conducting inlet pressure fluid to the cylinder behind the piston; a pilot valve; means for opening said pilot valve to permit the flow of fluid to eflect operation of the piston; a main valve adapted to be opened upon operation of the piston; and means operable upon movement of the piston for locking the pilot valve open including a member movable with said pilot valve havin a recess, a locking element supported by said body member adjacent said recess positioned be-- tween said last mentioned member and said piston, means constructed and arranged for preventing said locking element from entering said recess while said pilot valve is closed and said piston is in a position closing said main valve, and a surface on said piston for moving said looking element into said recess upon movement of said pilot valve into an open position and said piston into a position opening said main valve.

'7. In apparatus of the class described, a body member having a piston cylinder and an inlet and an outlet in communication with thecylinder; a piston in the cylinder; passage means for conducting inlet pressure fluid to the cylinder behind the piston; a pilot valve; means for opening said pilot valve to permit the flow of fluid to effect operation of the piston; a main valve adapted to be opened upon operation of the piston; means operable upon movement of the piston for locking the pilot valve open including a member movable with said pilot valve having a recess, a locking element supported by said body member adjacent said recess positioned between said last mentioned member and said piston, means constructed and arranged for preventing said locking element from entering said recess while said pilot valve is closed and said piston is in a position closing said main valve, and a surface on said piston for moving said locking element into said recess upon movement of said pilot valve into an open position and said piston into a position opening said main valve; and spring means between said pilot valve and said main valve operable upon a predetermined drop in the pressure of the fluid for closing said pilot valve and said main valve.

8. In a valve assembly for controlling the discharge of high pressure fluid medium, the combination of a casing having an inlet and an outlet provided with a valve seat therebetween, and having a piston chamber therein; a piston in said piston chamber; a valve member carried by said piston adapted to abut said seat; passage means for conducting a portion of high pressure fluid from the inlet into said piston chamber in back of the piston to urge the piston toward said valve seat; venting means including a pilot valve associated with said piston chamber for rapidly venting the high pressure fluid medium in back of the piston whereby said piston is adapted to be moved away from said valve seat to effect unseating of said valve member; and looking means operable upon movement of the piston and pilot valve for locking said venting means in venting position including a member movable with said pilot valve having a recess, a locking element adjacent said recess positioned between said last mentioned member and said piston, means constructed and arranged for preventing said locking element from entering said recess while said pilot valve is closed and said piston is in a position closing said main valve, and a surface on said piston for moving said lockin element into said recess upon movement of said 7 8 pilot valve into an open position and said piston UNITED STATES PATENTS into a position opening said main valve. Number Name Date ALBERT MANHARTSBERGER' 172,843 Boyle Feb. 1, 1876 1,624,130 Beggs Apr. 12, 1927 REFERENCES CITED 5 2,066,086 Wilson Dec. 29, 1936 The following references are of record in the file of this patent: 

